TAVARES — A senior prosecutor has overridden a 5-year plea bargain offer to a manslaughter suspect after parents of the victims complained the sentence was too short.

Bill Gross, the assistant state attorney in charge of the Tavares prosecutor's office, said Thursday he has withdrawn a plea bargain offer made by Assistant State Attorney Greg Smith and will add another charge in the case.

At issue is the driving under the influence/manslaughter case against Thomas Harold May, 28, of Weirsdale.

May was the driver of a Jeep CJ-5 that crossed the center line of U.S. Highway 441 in Tavares Jan. 22 and struck another car head-on, killing the driver, Kelly Breedlove.

The 17-year-old Eustis High School student was returning home from her job at Lake Square Mall.

A third car also was involved: a door from May's jeep flew off and hit a vehicle being driven by Shawna Poole, one of Breedlove's best friends.

May's blood tested at .17 percent alcohol content. In Florida, .10 percent is considered to be legal proof of intoxication. May was charged with possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and one count of DUI manslaughter. Because of his severe injuries, he was released without bail after being charged.

Smith was assigned the case and made what has become a standard offer in Lake County - five years in prison and 10 years of probation for DUI manslaughter. Sentencing guidelines called for a prison term ranging from three to seven years, Gross said Thursday.

Although Poole was not killed, her involvement gave Gross what he needed to overrule Smith and increase the potential prison time.

Gross said he was visited this week by Poole's mother, who complained that May was being treated too leniently. Breedlove's father also made the same complaint, he said.

''I hadn't even seen the case until then,'' Gross said. ''When I realized that Poole had not been listed as a victim, I decided to amend the information.''

May now will be charged with a third offense: driving under the influence with serious injury.

That triggers a jump in the sentencing guidelines, and May now faces 7 to 12 years in prison if found guilty.

Withdrawing the offer may not sit well in legal circles. Smith made the offer to May's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Carla Pepperman, in a plea negotiation conference.

Circuit Judge Earle Peterson presided over the conference and approved the offer, and Pepperman left on vacation.

She was not in town Thursday. But her boss, Chief Assistant Public Defender Mike Graves, was notified by Gross that the offer to May is being withdrawn and the charges increased.

Gross said Thursday that his decision did not come as a result of widespread protests of the plea bargain being offered to May. Eustis High School students are signing petitions protesting the offer.

''The public outcry had nothing to do with it,'' Gross said. ''I had made this decision before I ever heard about any petitions.''

Plea bargains are technically between the judge and the defense attorney. In other instances, judges have honored original plea bargain sentences, even when prosecutors asked for more time.

Peterson could not be reached for comment Thursday but judges are barred from commenting on future rulings. Graves refused to comment on Gross' action.